Lewis Hamilton fourth Formula One title ahead of Abu Dhabi

2017 was the year of Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel, at least that is how the Championship looked at the very beginning of the season. Today we know that Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes beat them fair and square - it was a bit of a mind game but also maintaining a cool head - even at the most desperate times.

Vettel had a 20 point lead by after the 2017 Austrian Grand Prix, that lead was squashed by Hamilton when he won the 2017 British Grand Prix. Still Ferrari and Vettel came back in Hungary and even Belgium to keep a 7 point gap to Mercedes and Hamilton.

But things changed at the 2017 Italian Grand Prix, Hamilton claimed victory while Vettel only managed third. There was a desperate move by Ferrari to improve for the following races - but that desperation caused damage to their championship hopes.

The following races (Malaysia and Suzuka), Ferrari had technical problems, by the time they woke up, Mercedes Lewis Hamilton was cruising to his Fourth well deserved Formula One title with a 59 point advantage.

It was really a pity to see Sebastian Vettel retiring from the 2017 Suzuka race due to a "Faulty spark plug" - he could have finished second.

After wining the 2017 USA Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton clinched his Forth Formula One title at the Mexican Grand Prix. This is how the championship table look now (after the 2017 Brazilian Grand Prix):